Recognize the different antigen & antibody patterns in hepatitis B

Explanation:

Vaccination will give you positivity for Hepatitis B Surface antibody.

Past infection with the virus will also give you IgG antibody to the core antigen. Difference is that vaccine contains only the protein coat of the virus. Surface antibody is protective against future infection.

In early Hepatitis B infection the patient will develop surface antigen positivity which slowly declines over 2 to 4 months as surface antibody rises.
In the first couple months of infection core antibody is IgM and later becomes IgG.